Smart Emergency Exit Signs

ABSTRACT

A networked system for managing a physical intrusion detection/alarm includes an upper tier of server devices, comprising: processor devices and memory in communication with the processor devices, a middle tier of gateway devices that are in communication with upper tier servers, and a lower level tier of devices that comprise fully functional nodes with at least some of the functional nodes including an application layer that execute routines to provide node functions, and a device to manage the lower tier of devices, the device instantiating a program manager that executes a state machine to control the application layer in each of the at least some of the functional nodes.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to provisional Patent Application 61/973,962, filed on Apr. 2, 2014, entitled: “Wireless Sensor Network”, and provisional U.S. Patent Application 61/946,054, filed on Feb. 28, 2014, entitled: “Wireless Sensor Network”, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

INTRODUCTION

This description relates to operation of security and alarm systems.

Emergency exit signs have been in use for many years. Their main purpose is to indicate the direction of a nearest exit and to provide a visible sign when power is absent as is often the case in emergency situations. Often times, there is only a separate siren device and/or flashing lights to indicate the need for exiting. Sometimes a public address system is used to announce the type of emergency and a broad suggestion of action such as an announcement of a lockdown situation. More recently in certain settings such as on university campuses text messaging, e.g., SMS or other texting protocols have been used to convey to students/faculty information through student/faculty mobile devices.

SUMMARY

In large structures such as schools, malls, offices, cruise ships there are usually many possible exit paths. In the event of a fire however, the choice of a wrong path among two or more possible paths for exiting could prove fatal; the same for a terrorist threat in a portion of a structure. Described below are techniques to provide accurate and timely information to assist occupants in choosing the safest action and path of travel during an emergency.

According to an aspect of the invention, an exit indicator device includes circuitry to receive data that when rendered provides one or more of visual, auditory, text and icon displays, a display indictor device to render arrows indicating safe possible exit directions and indicating dangerous directions, a message screen that convey real-time messages; and visual icons that are coded to threat levels.

The following are some embodiments within the scope of aspects of the invention. The exit indicator device further includes circuitry to modify the display by changing, flashing and/or progressively lighting patterns to indicate safe and unsafe directions. The exit indicator device has the circuitry including a CPU and memory that stores a computer program to control the emergency exit indicator device and a network interface card to interface. The exit indicator device includes sensors that are coupled to the emergency exit indicator device. The exit indicator device has the CPU configured to process data from local sensors that are part of the emergency exit indicator device. The exit indicator device has the CPU configured to receive information from the network interface the information comprising emergency exit indicators to display on the display device. The exit indicator device has a single display device configured to provide at least two or more of a message screen portion that convey real-time messages, icon display portion that renders arrows indicating safe possible exit directions and icon display portion that renders visual icons coded to threat levels. The exit indicator device has a plurality of separate display devices configured to provide at least two or more of a message screen portion that convey real-time messages, icon display portion that renders arrows indicating safe possible exit directions and icon display portion that renders visual icons coded to threat levels. The exit indicator device includes an audio transducer to transduce verbal instructions received from by the circuitry.

The aspects may provide one or more of the following advantages.

Smart Emergency Exit Indicator devices are devices that display indicators that provide direction, action and information about the emergency. The Smart Emergency Exit Indicator devices guide occupants in the safest direction, give occupants suggestions on whether they should stay or leave and the level of urgency or danger of the emergency. The Smart Emergency Exit Indicator devices use real-time information about the location and type of emergency. The Smart Emergency Exit Indicator devices can provide the following types of information with visual, auditory, text and icon displays. Arrows indicating the safe possible exit directions, indications that it is not safe to exit a room, colors, flashing or progressive lighting patterns to indicate safe and unsafe directions, verbal instructions, text instructions and visual icons or threat level that displays the danger or urgency of the emergency.

The specifics of the data gathering system includes a network of multiple sensors that collect data as well as a system to determine from the sensor data that monitor events and locations of events. A connection to the indicators could be wired and powered network or could be wireless. Detection sensors include some or all of Fire and Smoke and Toxic gas or chemical detectors, alarm boxes, audio detectors, structural change detectors, people counters, and motion sensors. These detectors/sensors report location data as well as raw sensor data.

The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary networked security system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a smart emergency exit indicator device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing additional details of the device of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart for operation of the device of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of components of an example networked security system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Described herein are examples of network features that may be used in various contexts including, but not limited to, security/intrusion and alarm systems. Example security systems may include an intrusion detection panel that is electrically or wirelessly connected to a variety of sensors. Those sensors types may include motion detectors, cameras, and proximity sensors (used, e.g., to determine whether a door or window has been opened). Typically, such systems receive a relatively simple signal (electrically open or closed) from one or more of these sensors to indicate that a particular condition being monitored has changed or become unsecure.

For example, typical intrusion systems can be set-up to monitor entry doors in a building. When a door is secured, a proximity sensor senses a magnetic contact and produces an electrically closed circuit. When the door is opened, the proximity sensor opens the circuit, and sends a signal to the panel indicating that an alarm condition has occurred (e.g., an opened entry door).

Data collection systems are becoming more common in some applications, such as home safety monitoring. Data collection systems employ wireless sensor networks and wireless devices, and may include remote server-based monitoring and report generation. As described in more detail below, wireless sensor networks generally use a combination of wired and wireless links between computing devices, with wireless links usually used for the lowest level connections (e.g., end-node device to hub/gateway). In an example network, the edge (wirelessly-connected) tier of the network is comprised of resource-constrained devices with specific functions. These devices may have a small-to-moderate amount of processing power and memory, and may be battery powered, thus requiring that they conserve energy by spending much of their time in sleep mode. A typical model is one where the edge devices generally form a single wireless network in which each end-node communicates directly with its parent node in a hub-and-spoke-style architecture. The parent node may be, e.g., an access point on a gateway or a sub-coordinator which is, in turn, connected to the access point or another sub-coordinator.

Referring now to FIG. 1, an exemplary (global) distributed network 10 topology for a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is shown. In FIG. 1 the distributed network 10 is logically divided into a set of tiers or hierarchical levels 12 a-12 c. In an upper tier or hierarchical level 12 a of the network are disposed servers and/or virtual servers 14 running a “cloud computing” paradigm that are networked together using well-established networking technology such as Internet protocols or which can be private networks that use none or part of the Internet. Applications that run on those servers 14 communicate using various protocols such as for Web Internet networks XML/SOAP, RESTful web service, and other application layer technologies such as HTTP and ATOM. The distributed network 10 has direct links between devices (nodes as shown and discussed below.

The distributed network 10 includes a second logically divided tier or hierarchical level 12 b, referred to here as a middle tier that involves gateways 16 located at central, convenient places inside individual buildings and structures. These gateways 16 communicate with servers in the upper tier whether the servers are stand-alone dedicated servers and/or cloud based servers running cloud applications using web programming techniques. The middle tier gateways 16 are also shown with both local area network 17 a (e.g., Ethernet or 802.11) and cellular network interfaces 17 b.

The distributed network topology also includes a lower tier (edge layer) 12 c set of devices that involve fully-functional sensor nodes 18 (e.g., sensor nodes that include wireless devices, e.g., transceivers or at least transmitters, which in FIG. 1 are marked in with an “F”) as well as constrained wireless sensor nodes or sensor end-nodes 20 (marked in the FIG. 1 with “C”). In some embodiments wired sensors (not shown) can be included in aspects of the distributed network 10.

Constrained computing devices 20 as used herein are devices with substantially less persistent and volatile memory other computing devices, sensors in a detection system. Currently examples of constrained devices would be those with less than about a megabyte of flash/persistent memory, and less than 10-20 kbytes of RAM/volatile memory). These constrained devices 20 are configured in this manner; generally due to cost/physical configuration considerations.

In a typical network, the edge (wirelessly-connected) tier of the network is comprised of highly resource-constrained devices with specific functions. These devices have a small-to-moderate amount of processing power and memory, and often are battery powered, thus requiring that they conserve energy by spending much of their time in sleep mode. A typical model is one where the edge devices generally form a single wireless network in which each end-node communicates directly with its parent node in a hub-and-spoke-style architecture. The parent node may be, e.g., an access point on a gateway or a sub-coordinator which is, in turn, connected to the access point or another sub-coordinator.

Each gateway is equipped with an access point (fully functional node or “F” node) that is physically attached to that access point and that provides a wireless connection point to other nodes in the wireless network. The links (illustrated by lines not numbered) shown in FIG. 1 represent direct (single-hop network layer) connections between devices. A formal networking layer (that functions in each of the three tiers shown in FIG. 1) uses a series of these direct links together with routing devices to send messages (fragmented or non-fragmented) from one device to another over the network.

The WSN 10 implements a state machine approach to an application layer that runs on the lower tier devices 18 and 20. Discussed below is an example of a particular implementation of such an approach. States in the state machine are comprised of sets of functions that execute in coordination, and these functions can be individually deleted or substituted or added to in order to alter the states in the state machine of a particular lower tier device.

The WSN state function based application layer uses an edge device operating system (not shown, but such as disclosed in the above mentioned provisional application) that allows for loading and execution of individual functions (after the booting of the device) without rebooting the device (so-called “dynamic programming”). In other implementations, edge devices could use other operating systems provided such systems allow for loading and execution of individual functions (after the booting of the device) preferable without rebooting of the edge devices.

Referring now to FIG. 2, an exemplary exit device 30 that receives information, in real time or near real time from many sources to convey intelligent, real-time information and directions for the safest response to the emergency is show. For example the Smart Emergency Exit Indicator device 30 receives data from the WSN and can be one of the nodes on the network 10. The Emergency Exit Indicator device 30 can be wirelessly or hard wired into the network 10 (or another implementation of a sensor network).

In the description below the exit device 30 is referred to as a Smart Emergency Exit Indicator device 30. Smart Emergency Exit Indicator device 30 is an indicator device that provides one or more or all of features of direction, action and information about an emergency. The Smart Emergency Exit indicator device 30 guides occupants in the safest direction(s), informs occupants on suggestions on whether they should stay or leave a location, and also provides information on a level of urgency or danger associated with the emergency.

One or more real-time data gathering systems (e.g., FIGS. 1 and 3) gather data from multiple sensors dispersed through a premises or a series of premises (premises) either connected via the network 10 or local sensors with direct connections to the Smart Emergency Exit Indicator device 30. The data gathering system monitors events and locations of events throughout the premises. An exemplary system to provide data gathering is disclosed in FIG. 1. Other systems that provide such data gathering information could be used.

As shown in FIG. 2, the Smart Emergency Exit Indicator device 30 includes one or more display units that provide one or more of the following types of information through visual, auditory, text and icon displays. In some embodiments, a single display device can be used whereas in other embodiments multiple display devices (multi-display) are used for the different types of information rendered by the Smart Emergency Exit Indicator device. With regards to the multi-display embodiment, a first display unit 32 displays “Exit”, whereas a second display unit 34 displays a message that is typically generated by the real-time data gathering system. A third display unit 36 as shown in FIG. 2 displays here four “arrows” for indicating the safe possible exit directions (go left, go right, go straight, go back). (Other configurations are possible such as a display unit that just displays one arrow where the direction that the arrow points will be dependent on information from the data gathering system.)

In the third display unit 36 that comprise arrows (here four “arrows” as shown) but other numbers depending on building configuration or other considerations can be used. In addition, the illumination from the arrows is dynamically controlled by messages received by the Smart Emergency Exit Indicator device 30 and processed by a processing unit (FIG. 3). Thus, the arrows in the third display unit 36 do not merely convey possible directions as would an exit sign that had a static arrow illuminated by the same source that illuminates the word “Exit” but rather has these four arrows change illuminations (on/off and/or colors with or without X'ing out a particular arrow) to indicate calculated safe direction(s) and/or calculated unsafe directions in an emergency.

In FIG. 2, the arrow on the right “go right” indicated by the fill 36 a to represent a lite condition and the safest direction, with “go back” and “go forward” not lite representing neutral conditions and “go left” not lite and X'ed out with an indication depicted in FIG. 2 as a dark black X, 39 indicating a dangerous direction. Other display considerations are possible. As shown, the other arrows have X's (shown in phantom light gray to indicate that those indicators are not active in this example. Many other conventions for conveying this directional information are possible; such as all lights in the arrows can be lite with different colors to indicate status of various directions, e.g., green for safe, orange for caution or neutral and red for danger. The message screen 34 underneath the word EXIT can be used to convey real-time messages, such as a warning indication that it is not safe to exit a room. In addition, colors, flashing or progressive lighting patterns etc. (not shown) an be used to indicate safe and unsafe directions.

An audio transducer, e.g. speaker 33 can be built into the Smart Emergency Exit Indicator device to transduce verbal instructions that are either computer generated or human generated. The Audio instructions can advise occupants which direction(s) to go, what the threat is and the proximity to the threat and the text instructions can advise occupants which direction(s) to go, what the threat is and their respective proximity to the threat. The Smart Emergency Exit Indicator device 30 can also include one or more threat level indicators 38 here three visual icons 38 a-38 c are shown that display a degree of a threat level, e.g., three levels shown that convey the type, degree of danger and urgency of the emergency, respectively. A convention would also be established for the meaning of or color for each of the three visual icons 38 a-38 c to correlate to the type, degree of danger and urgency of the emergency. The Smart Emergency Exit Indicator device 30 is packaged in housing 33.

The Smart Emergency Exit Indicator device 30 can also include short range communication devices to communicate with other electronic devices using technology such as Bluetooth® to provide additional information directly to personal electronic devices in the immediate vicinity of the smart exit indicator. This type of smart exit indicator is different from the type used today which is basically a lighted, unchanging sign. While it may be that current signs are used to indicate a direction of exit, the direction is generally only one fixed direction of exit. The Smart Emergency Exit indicator devices use real-time calculated information about the location and type of emergency.

The data gathering system of FIG. 1 provides connections to the Smart Emergency Exit indicator device 30. In some embodiments connections to the Smart Emergency Exit indicator devices 30 are wired and power is supplied by building power. In other embodiments connections to the network are wireless and power is supplied by a power network that is separate from the building power. Exemplary detection sensors include fire, smoke detectors, toxic gas or chemical detectors, alarms, structural change detectors, audio detectors, motion sensors, etc.

Referring to FIG. 3, the Smart Emergency Exit Indicator device 30 includes processing capabilities provided by computing circuitry 40 including a processor, e.g., a CPU 42 and memory 44, which executes a computer program stored in memory 44 to control the Smart Emergency Exit Indicator device 30. The Smart Emergency Exit Indicator devices can also include non-volatile storage (not shown) a wire and/or wireless NIC 46 (network interface card) to interlace with the WSN (FIG. 1) or other network and an interface to control display units of the Smart Emergency Exit Indicator device 30 to render the information shown in FIG. 2.

The Smart Emergency Exit Indicator devices 30 can also include or have access to local sensors S1-S3 that are not necessarily part of the sensor network of FIG. 1, and thus in some embodiments provides Smart Emergency Exit Indicator devices 30 with additional information by processing data from these local sensors S1-S3 that can be part of the Smart Emergency Exit Indicator device 30. The Smart Emergency Exit Indicator device 30 in addition to processing data received from local sensors can also be configured to receive data from other sensors such as those controlled by the network 10. Emergency indicator communications can be wired and/or wireless to the system of FIG. 1 and can be battery backed-up and also powered by a standard electrical system (not shown).

The Smart Emergency Exit Indicator device 30 can be placed above the door in each room so occupants know whether to exit and if so, which direction(s) to take. Hallways can also have Smart Emergency Exit Indicator devices that indicate which direction(s) to take at hallway intersections. Building exits can indicate if it is safe or unsafe to exit the structure at that particular location.

Conventional exit signs are typically installed at the ceiling level because such exit signs serve one primary function as a battery enabled red lights during emergencies. However, during conditions of extreme smoke or toxic gases, ceiling level displays may be very difficult to see. Accordingly, Smart Emergency Exit indicator devices can be installed at eye level in hallways to aid with the rapid exit of the structure. In addition, embodiments of the Smart Emergency Exit Indicator devices can be placed at ground level to assist occupants when crawling because of very dense smoke, etc. Audible indicators may also assist with navigation when tearing of the eyes due to smoke makes it difficult to read the signs and for the visually impaired.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the network system of FIG. 1 is configured to gather real-time information about the threats from various sensors, and is configured to determine/receive correct information regarding directions and to send the correct information to each Smart Emergency Exit Indicator device 30 based upon the indictor's position in the building relative to threats and possible exit choices. Various components/systems in the network of FIG. 1 can perform this processing 50.

The network system of FIG. 1 collects 52 in real time data from various sensors, analyzes 54 the collected data to determine existence of an emergency situation, analyzes 56 the determined situation to determine one or more appropriate actions to recommend and calculates 58 from analyzed data and determined situation, paths from various locations in the premises to closest, safest egresses from the various current locations and sends 60 various messages such as paths (represented by arrows that will be activated on the various Smart Emergency Exit Indicator devices) over the network to the Smart Emergency Exit Indicators, such determined data. The CPU in each Smart Emergency Exit Indicator device will cause appropriate ones of the indicators on the Smart Emergency Exit Indicator devices to be activated. In some embodiments the Smart Emergency Exit Indicator device can perform the above processing 50 from received data.

In some implementations, because the network system of FIG. 1, for example, collects data 52 and analyzes 54 the collected data to determine existence of an emergency situation, analyzes 56 the determined situation to determine one or more appropriate actions and calculates 58 paths and sends 60 various messages to various Smart Emergency Exit Indicator devices 30 over the network each Smart Emergency Exit Indicator 30 is addressable on the network. That is the Smart Emergency Exit Indicators each have an address, e.g., an IP address or other addressing mechanism to allow the appropriate message to be sent to the appropriate Smart Emergency Exit Indicator 30.

Emergency systems are configured to be active during fires and power failures. Thus, the system could also assist firefighters in exiting a building in a safe manner during extreme smoke and fire conditions where visibility is very limited and some possible safe exit directions are rapidly changing. The Smart Emergency Exit indicator devices 30 provide multiple methods of indicating the correct action (stay, go left, go right, go straight, etc.) and multiple methods of indicating the urgency of action, the level of threat and the type of threat. Smart Emergency Exit Indicator devices communicate with a system that is monitoring and assessing the location, motion and type of threat and modify their indicators based upon information and commands received from that system. Indicators are placed at each point of exit choice such as each door and hallway intersection so occupants easily and quickly know the safest path(s) to exit the building.

The indicators may be implemented using any appropriate type of structure including an appropriate computing device capable of executing instructions, connecting to a network, and/or forwarding data packets through the network and execute any appropriate computer programs to generate, receive, and transmit data packets for use on the network. The indicators can be relatively simple displays with minimal hardware support, and which would rely on processing performed at other nodes. The displays can be constructed of various technologies depending on cost, code and other considerations.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a security system having features of the WSN described with respect to FIG. 1 and having the various functionalities described herein. As shown in FIG. 5, correlation processing receives inputs from certain constrained nodes (although these can also be fully functional nodes). These inputs may include credential information and video information, and the correlation processing may produce correlated results that are sent over the network. Context management processing receives inputs from certain constrained nodes (although these can also be fully functional nodes) e.g., credential information and video and grouping information, and performs context processing with results sent over the network. The network supports operation of emergency exit indicators; emergency cameras as well as distributed rule processing and rule engine/messaging processing. Range extenders are used with e.g., gateways, and a real time location system receives inputs from various sensors (e.g., constrained type) as shown. Servers interface to the WSN via a cloud computing configuration and parts of some networks can be run as sub-nets.

The sensors provide in addition to an indication that something is detected in an area within the range of the sensors, detailed additional information that can be used to evaluate what that indication may be without the intrusion detection panel being required to perform extensive analysis of inputs to the particular sensor.

For example, a motion detector could be configured to analyze the heat signature of a warm body moving in a room to determine if the body is that of a human or a pet. Results of that analysis would be a message or data that conveys information about the body detected. Various sensors thus are used to sense sound, motion, vibration, pressure, heat, images, and so forth, in an appropriate combination to detect a true or verified alarm condition at the intrusion detection panel.

Recognition software can be used to discriminate between objects that are a human and objects that are an animal; further facial recognition software can be built into video cameras and used to verify that the perimeter intrusion was the result of a recognized, authorized individual. Such video cameras would comprise a processor and memory and the recognition software to process inputs (captured images) by the camera and produce the metadata to convey information regarding recognition or lack of recognition of an individual captured by the video camera. The processing could also alternatively or in addition include information regarding characteristic of the individual in the area captured/monitored by the video camera. Thus, depending on the circumstances, the information would be either metadata received from enhanced motion detectors and video cameras that performed enhanced analysis on inputs to the sensor that gives characteristics of the perimeter intrusion or a metadata resulting from very complex processing that seeks to establish recognition of the object.

Sensor devices can integrate multiple sensors to generate more complex outputs so that the intrusion detection panel can utilize its processing capabilities to execute algorithms that analyze the environment by building virtual images or signatures of the environment to make an intelligent decision about the validity of a breach.

Memory stores program instructions and data used by the processor of the intrusion detection panel. The memory may be a suitable combination of random access memory and read-only memory, and may host suitable program instructions (e.g. firmware or operating software), and configuration and operating data and may be organized as a file system or otherwise. The stored program instruction may include one or more authentication processes for authenticating one or more users. The program instructions stored in the memory of the panel may further store software components allowing network communications and establishment of connections to the data network. The software components may, for example, include an internet protocol (IP) stack, as well as driver components for the various interfaces, including the interfaces and the keypad. Other software components suitable for establishing a connection and communicating across network will be apparent to those of ordinary skill.

Program instructions stored in the memory, along with configuration data may control overall operation of the panel.

The monitoring server includes one or more processing devices (e.g., microprocessors), a network interface and a memory (all not illustrated). The monitoring server may physically take the form of a rack mounted card and may be in communication with one or more operator terminals (not shown). An example monitoring server is a SURGARD™ SG-System III Virtual, or similar system.

The processor of each monitoring server acts as a controller for each monitoring server, and is in communication with, and controls overall operation, of each server. The processor may include, or be in communication with, the memory that stores processor executable instructions controlling the overall operation of the monitoring server. Suitable software enable each monitoring server to receive alarms and cause appropriate actions to occur. Software may include a suitable Internet protocol (IP) stack and applications/clients.

Each monitoring server of the central monitoring station may be associated with an IP address and port(s) by which it communicates with the control panels and/or the user devices to handle alarm events, etc. The monitoring server address may be static, and thus always identify a particular one of monitoring server to the intrusion detection panels. Alternatively, dynamic addresses could be used, and associated with static domain names, resolved through a domain name service.

The network interface card interfaces with the network to receive incoming signals, and may for example take the form of an Ethernet network interface card (NIC). The servers may be computers, thin-clients, or the like, to which received data representative of an alarm event is passed for handling by human operators. The monitoring station may further include, or have access to, a subscriber database that includes a database under control of a database engine. The database may contain entries corresponding to the various subscriber devices/processes to panels like the panel that are serviced by the monitoring station.

All or part of the processes described herein and their various modifications (hereinafter referred to as “the processes”) can be implemented, at least in part, via a computer program product, i.e., a computer program tangibly embodied in one or more tangible, physical hardware storage devices that are computer and/or machine-readable storage devices for execution by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus, e.g., a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple computers. A computer program can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a network.

Actions associated with implementing the processes can be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform the functions of the calibration process. All or part, of the processes can be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) and/or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit).

Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, by way of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions and data from a read-only storage area or a random access storage area or both. Elements of a computer (including a server) include one or more processors for executing instructions and one or more storage area devices for storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include, or be operatively coupled to receive data from, or transfer data to, or both, one or more machine-readable storage media, such as mass storage devices for storing data, e.g., magnetic, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks.

Tangible, physical hardware storage devices that are suitable for embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile storage, including by way of example, semiconductor storage area devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash storage area devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks and volatile computer memory, e.g., RAM such as static and dynamic RAM, as well as erasable memory, e.g., flash memory.

In addition, the logic flows depicted in the figures do not require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results. In addition, other actions may be provided, or actions may be eliminated, from the described flows, and other components may be added to, or removed from, the described systems. Likewise, actions depicted in the figures may be performed by different entities or consolidated.

Elements of different embodiments described herein may be combined to form other embodiments not specifically set forth above. Elements may be left out of the processes, computer programs, Web pages, etc. described herein without adversely affecting their operation. Furthermore, various separate elements may be combined into one or more individual elements to perform the functions described herein.

Other implementations not specifically described herein are also within the scope of the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An exit indicator device comprises: circuitry to receive data that when rendered provides one or more of visual, auditory, text and icon displays; a display indictor device to render arrows indicating safe possible exit directions and indicating dangerous directions; a message screen that convey real-time messages; and visual icons that are coded to threat levels.
 2. The exit indicator device of claim 1 further comprises: circuitry to modify the display by changing, flashing and/or progressively lighting patterns to indicate safe and unsafe directions.
 3. The exit indicator device of claim 1 wherein the circuitry further comprises: a CPU and memory that stores a computer program to control the emergency exit indicator device and a network interface card to interface.
 4. The exit indicator device of claim 3 further comprises: sensors that are coupled to the emergency exit indicator device.
 5. The exit indicator device of claim 4 wherein the CPU is further configured to: process data from local sensors that are part of the emergency exit indicator device.
 6. The exit indicator device of claim 1 wherein the CPU is further configured to: receive information from the network interface the information comprising emergency exit indicators to display on the display device.
 7. The exit indicator device of claim 1 wherein a single display device is configured to provide at least two or more of a message screen portion that convey real-time messages, icon display portion that renders arrows indicating safe possible exit directions and icon display portion that renders visual icons coded to threat levels.
 8. The exit indicator device of claim 1 wherein a plurality of separate display devices are configured to provide at least two or more of a message screen portion that convey real-time messages, icon display portion that renders arrows indicating safe possible exit directions and icon display portion that renders visual icons coded to threat levels.
 9. The exit indicator device of claim 1 further comprising an audio transducer to transduce verbal instructions received from by the circuitry.
 10. An emergency exit indicator device comprises: a CPU and memory that stores a computer program to control the emergency exit indicator device and a network interface card to interface to receive data that when rendered provides one or more of visual, auditory, text and icon displays; a display indictor device to render: arrows indicating safe possible exit directions and indicating dangerous directions; a message screen that convey real-time messages; and visual icons that are coded to threat levels.
 11. The emergency exit indicator device of claim 10 further comprises: circuitry to modify the display by changing, flashing and/or progressively lighting patterns to indicate safe and unsafe directions.
 12. The emergency exit indicator device of claim 10 wherein a single display device is configured to provide at least two or more of a message screen portion that convey real-time messages, icon display portion that renders arrows indicating safe possible exit directions and icon display portion that renders visual icons coded to threat levels. 